Automatic fuel-economizing apparatus for internal-combustion engines



Nov. '20 .1923. I I

- R. PLATT-HEPWORTH AUTOMATIC FUEL ECONOMIZING APPARATUS FOR INTERNALGOMBUSTIN [ENGINES 28 ,ZoFiled June '7, 1923 'lobert 1 laibdii' 27Patented Nov. 20, 1923. J

UNITED STATES,

ROBERT rLa'rrr-nnrwon'rli, or

PATENT OFF-ICE.

PADDINGTON, SYDNEY, NEW souzrn WALES,-- AUSTRALIA.

jTo all, whom it mag fconcerm in Be it known that I ROBERT PLATT HEPWORTH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 68PaddingtonStreet, Paddington, Sydney, New South Vales, Australia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in- Automatic Fuel-Economizing Apparatus for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification. L

This invention relatesto improvements in economizing apparatus.for'internal combustion engines and is applicable more particularly tothe engines of motor vehicles and aeroplanes and is provided inconjunction With the carburettor in order to provide economy byeffecting complete fuel vaporization and givin 'the driver a means ofcompensating for c imatic and other changes.

Best results are not given by the existing types of carburettors as theyare generally provided with permanent adjustmentmeans, i. e. theadjustment once made remains unaltered, and therefore it is not possibleto allow for varying barometric pressures, temperatures, continuallyvarying road conditions and varying qualities of fuel.

Now the object of the present invention is to provide an automaticeconomizing device in conjunction with the carburettor which althoughmanually adjusted within predetermined limits operateswithin such limitsentirely automatically.

lVith this object in view this invention consists of-a device situatedbetween and con meeting the two ends of a break in the induction pipeonthe engine side of the carburettor. Said device consists of an annularchamber communicating with the induction pipe through an annular slot,and a' branch chamber integral with and communicating with the annularchamber.

Extending from and communicating with the branch chamber is a verticalcylindrical casing formed two separate chambers disposed one above theothen The upper chamber which has a removable cover plate functions as adashpot containing therein a piston while the lower chamber is providedwith a series of air holes and functions as an airinlet chamber whichcommunicates With the branch chamber through amushroom valve the. stemof which is connected to the dashpot piston. The dashpot chamher isconnected to one branch of a threeway Application filed June 7,

1923. Serial No. 643,986.

cock which may be mounted .on the dashboard and provided with anoperating handle and indicating dial. The remaining branches of thethreeway cock are connected one to the induction pipe and the otherto anair chamber. 1

Th invention maybe more completely understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate one'form of" the invention and inwhich Figure l isv a diagrammatic view of the economizer fitted to aninduction pipe.

Figure 2 is a sectional of the economizer and F igure3 is a sectionallevation of a modification of the valve.

Suitably fitted within a' break in the induction pipe 4 on the engineside of the its periphery and communicat s with the chamber 7 throughthe valve 13 which is of the mushroom type and constructed as lightly aspossible.

perspective View The chamber 9 acts as a dashpot chamber and containsthe piston 14 which is attachedto the hollow stem 15 of the valve 13 forwhich the dividing wall 11 acts as'a guide.

This chamber is also provided with'an airtight removable cover plate 16.

A threeway cock 1'? preferably of the plug type and provided with anoperating handle or knob and indicating dial plate (not shown in thedrawings) is attached to the dashboard of the vehicle. or inany othersuitable position. One branch 18 of the threeway cock connected by meansof the pipe 19 to the dashpot chamber 9. Another branch 20 is connectedby a pipe 21 to any convenient point in the inductionpipe 4 such as thelead from the vacuum feed petrol supply and the third branch 22 isprovided with anair vessel 23. l

The threeway cock is so designed that the I dash pot 9 may be put-inpartial or full' comn-mmcatlon with either the an" vessel or thellltlWf-UOII pipe and the branches in the plug of the three way cock maybe splayed as shown at. 28 to allow of finer adjustment.

In operation and when starting an ntegral combustion engine titted withthis invention the three way cock is operated so that the dashpotchamber 9 and the induction pipe lead 21 are put in communication witheach other. The suction set up. in the induction pipe 4 on the intakestroke of any cylinder causes a partial vacuum to be formed in thebranch chamber 7 thus tend-" ing to open the mushroom valve 13 whichhowever, is prevented from opening for the reason that a partial vacuumis also formed on the upper side of the dashpot piston 1% through thepipe 21 by the intake suction in the induction pipe 4.

This equalizing suction formed on both the valve 13 and the piston 1-1keeps the mushroom valve 13 closed and so on air is admitted to theinduction pipe and the engine gets the rich mixture requisite forstarting purposes.

lVhen the engine has increased its speed a greater suction is producedin the spraying chamber of the carburettor and more petrol is drawn outof the jet, thus necessitating an increased supply of air.

The additional air is allowed to enter through the valve 12 by puttingthe dashpot 9 in communication with the air chamber 23 by manuallyadjusting the three way cock 17 thus allowing the piston 14 to withdrawair from the chamber 23.

The valve 13 will then open and admit air according to the amount ofsuction in the induction pipe 4. The air from the underside of thepiston 14 is allowed to escape slowly through the fine holes 24 as thevalve 12 opens thus providing a cushion. The shock of the valve openingfully and suddenly is taken by the small spring 25 and the valveis'closed again by the spring 26.

The amount of the opening of the valve 13 will be dependent on theamount of air admitted to the upper portion of the dashpot and thereforewhen given a maximum valve opening for a particular adjustment of theregulating three way cock, the mushroom valve will operate automaticallywithin the range of this adjustment, allowing more air to enter when theengine suction increases and less when the engine suction decreases.

Any globules of petrol which may condense on the inside of the inductionpipe and run down are caught in the chamber 5 and re-vaporized by theincoming air.

In a modification the holes 2-1 may be dis-. persed with and holes 27provided in the stem of the valve 13 thus allowing air to enter andleave the chamber 10 through the hollow stem 15 of the valve. The air isthereby exhausted from the underside of the piston 14: thus assistingthe opening of the valve 13.

The invention may be. utilized with some what more limited advantages bydispensing with the lead from the regulating three way cock to theimluction pipe and it desired the air vessel may be omitted andatmospheric air allowed to enter the dashnot.

It is clear that the connections to the three way cock may be alteredwithout at" fecting the spirit of the invention in arty way. forexample. the air vessel may be placed between the leads 19 and 21 inwhich case it would be necessary to have a phig with three branches butcare must be taken to see that it is not possible to put the air vessel23 and induction pipe lead in communication with each other. V

Various other modifications in the construction of the apparatus may bemade without altering the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An automatic fuel economizing device for use with internal combustionengines comprising an air inlet valve adapted to admit air through apassage to the induction pipe, a piston attached to said valve operatingin a separate chamber, movement of said piston being controlled bycominuni cation either with the induction pipe or an air supply.

2. An automatic fuel economizing device for use with internal combustionengines comprising an annular chamber surrounding the induction pipe andcommunicating therewith. a branch chamber extending from said annularchamber, an air inlet chamber communicating with said branch chamberthrough a spring cont-rolled valve, a dashpot attached to the stem ofsaid valve and means for. selectively establishing communication?between the dashpot and an air'supply ori the induction pipe.

3. An automatic fuel economizer for use-t in internal combustion engineshaving a valve adapted to admit air through a passage to an annularchamber surrounding and in communication with the induction pipe, saidvalve being spring controlled and having attached to the stem a pistonmovable within an overlying chamber adapted to act as a dashpot,movement of said air valve being controlled by the adjust-n'ient of athree way cock to selectively establish communication between saiddashpot and the induction pipe or an air vessel.

4. An automatic fuel economizing device for use with internal combustionengines comprising an annular chamber within a flange adapted to besecured within a break in the induction pipe. said chamber communicatingwith said induction pipe, a branch or valve chambercxtcnding from saidannular ring, a vertically disposed cylindrical casing overlying saidbranch or valve chamber, said casing being subdivided into an air inletchamber and a dashpot i se chamber, peripheral air vents in the wall ofsaid air inlet chamber, a hollow stemmed mushroom valve interposedbetween said air inlet chamber and said branch chamber and adapted tocontrol communication between said chambers, a dashpot piston withinsaid dashpot chamber attached to said hollow stemmed valve, springssurrounding valve stem adapted to control the movement of said valve.air holes in the dividing wall 1 between said dashpot chamber and saidair inlet chamber, a pipe or tube leading from said dashpot chamber toone branch of a three way cook, a pipe or tube leading from theinduction pipe to another branch of the three way cock, an air vesselattached to the third branch of the three way cock, said three way cockbeing adapted to selectively establish variable communication betweensaid dashpot and said induction pipe lead or said air vessel.

5. An automatic fuel economizing device for use with internal combustionengines comprising an annular chamber Within a flange adapted to besecured Within a break in the induction pipe, said chamber communicatingwith said induction pipe, a

branch or valve chamber, extending from I said annular chamber, avertically disposed cylindrical casing overlying said branch or valvechamber, said casing being subdivided into an air inlet chamber anda'dashpot chamber, peripherical air vents in the Wall of said air inletchamber, a mushroom valve having a hollow stem interposed between saidair inlet chamber and said branch chamber and adapted to controlcommunication between "said; chambers, air holes in said hollow valvestem, a dashpot piston within said dashpot chamber attached to saidvalve stem, springs surrounding valve stem adapted to control themovement of said valve, a pipe or tube leading from said dashpot chamberone branch of a three Way cock, a pipe or tube leading from theinduction pipe to another branch of the three wa cock,,'an air vesselattached to the third branch of'the three way cock, said three way cockbeing adapted to selectively establish variable communication betweensaid dashpot and said induction pipe lead or said air vessel.

In testimony whereof he has afiixed his signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT PLATT-HEPWORTH. itnesses:

T. O. ALLEN, H. C. CAMPBELL.

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